I'm lactose intolerant, but I can eat goat cheese. Why?
Can you give me some ideas about where to find complete nutritional info on goat cheese? I am lactose intolerant but find that i can eat goat cheese. I am looking for research info or hard facts on goats cheese. Specifically fat content, and cholesterol info. It's said to have smaller fat molecules, be easier to digest, etc.

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What
is Lactose Intolerance?

The
main sugar found in milk is lactose and is actually made up of two
sugar molecules bound together (a di-saccharide). The body can't
absorb lactose and it must be broken down into the two sugar molecules
(mono-saccharides) glucose and galactose.
Many people lack the enzyme lactase that the body uses to break
down lactose, so the "milk sugar" is not absorbed and passes
from the small intestine to the colon.

The
problem is that the bacteria living in your large intestine love lactose
and break it down causing many unpleasant effects. We think of these bacteria
as the "good guys" (and they are) but in the process of using
the lactose they create lactic acid and other chemicals. Those substances
are what causes abdominal discomfort.

Who
is Lactose Intolerant?

Lots
of people. Most of us begin to lose the ability to make the lactase enzyme
after being weaned. It is those of mostly Northern European and Scandinavian
descent who are still able to make the lactase enzyme well into adulthood.
The theory is that those people who did tolerate lactose in an environment
where cows were a main source of nutrition survived better and thus passed
on the genes for making lactase more successfully.

This
means that most other populations not farming such animals are lactose
intolerant by adulthood. Here's a rough breakdown:

80%
of those of Asian descent
79% of Native Americans
75% of those of African descent
51% of Hispanic Americans
21% of Caucasians

I've
just added more
information about Lactose Intolerance to the Dr. Gourmet website, including When people
become lactose intolerant, Where you can find out if you are, and
a handy downloadable guide to the amount of lactose in some common dairy
foods.